Sabre Pepper Gel

[daglockman]

I am thinking of ordering some SABRE red pepper gel for my daughter in college. Pepper Gel: An Industry-Leading Innovation from SABRE | SABRE She is in a major metropolitan college in downtown Denver. It would be legal to carry, and I am thinking this is a good self defense tool. Some have suggested a Taser Pulse or even a firearm, but I think that this would be a good starting point. She would not be able to carry a firearm yet due to her age, but a Taser is only restricted to 18 and over. Any thoughts and personal experience would be appreciated. On a side note, 10 years ago, I was standing next to a guy that got pepper foamed, and he wiped it off and threw a big gob of it right into my face inadvertently. It SUCKED. This stuff works. Gel is supposed to alleviate that problem as it turns to liquid much more rapidly than foam. Thanks.

 

[film495]

I just ordered some of the regular mace brand pepper spray. I always thought the spray cans were kind of silly, but recently read some articles on bear mace, that indicated it was the most effective way to survive a brown bear attack, more so than any firearm. That info sold me on it as being worth having. Not sure if it is better than a firearm, but - it is good enough IMHO to be debated for day to day walking around self defense.

 

[Fishinfool]

I have used "pepper spray" quite a few times in the past. In most cases, it will work, but like anything, is not 100%, but better than your bare hands. No experience with the "gel", but I would think the gel would alleviate one major issue with OC spray, and that is blow back to the user in windy conditions.

My suggestion is you purchase both a real can, and a training can with inert contents. She needs to practice with the inert can, so in a real situation, she has some confidence and muscle memory. I might also add that a "taste" of the real thing will give her some perspective of what it is like, so as not to shock her if she really does have to use it for real, as self contamination is a real possibility. Also, the bigger the can, usually more content and distance. Some of those small, key chain products don't have much reach, and if a stream spray as opposed to a fogger, can be hard to hit with.

I still carry a small fire extinguisher sized fogger in my truck since I retired, just in case, and actually did have to use it once on a fellow who seemed to develop a case of road rage, after he cut me off. It worked...

Larry

 

[llowry61]

The blowback is something I learned the hard way. My wife had a small mace canister she carried in her purse which had expired. We got her a new one and we decided to spray it in the backyard to get some experience with it. I stayed upwind when she tried it. I didn't realize she had stepped down wind after she handed it to me. To make a long story short she got a snoot full of the blowback. The stuff is powerful and I felt really bad. I can see where you will probably get a little yourself in a real life situation.

 

[Texas Star]

I have asthma, and a deadly allergy to the stuff in pepper spray. Also to jalapeno peppers in Mexican restaurants. I almost died once when a restaurant cooked my chicken in grease where they'd just grilled some peppers.

As a result, I don't dare use spray. I figure that if I have to shoot somebody, I can cite that allergy to spray to explain why I didn't use that instead.

Sometimes a knife works, even if you don't use it. This summer, my maid was accosted by a man while walking home from a bus stop. She pulled a Gerber lockblade knife that I'd given her two days before, and her attacker saw that sharp blade and went back to his truck and left.

 

[jimmyj]

Wasp spray

 

[daglockman]

Thanks for the input . I would assume that there are quite a few LEO's and corrections officers here that have quite a bit more experience than me with these products, and can attest to there effectiveness or lack there of.
The gel products were developed to eliminate virtually all blowback in outdoor conditions and alleviate "collateral damage" to surrounding people, and doesn't let off any particulate matter so it affects only what it touches. Also, there is a added utility for using them indoors, the fog from a spray will not get into ventilation systems. The tactical model that I was looking at, has a 18 foot range and the can will run from any angle. Where as the sprays do not run upside down, or some even tilted sideways, similar to a spray paint can.
I agree with getting the inert can for practice. Excellent idea.

 

[daglockman]

Wasp spray will work, but best kept just inside the garage door to handle any issues out front of my house and one on the back porch in case their are any issues in the back yard. Don't think it would be too convenient to carry around, but it would certainly not be pleasant to have it sprayed in your face. I am pretty sure of that!!!! It has a great range and a good stream, as I have used it to spray a wasp nest that was in between the fascia and the gutters on the second floor of my house.

 

[caduceus]

My brother recently retired LEO after 27 yrs. Was discussing renewal of expired spray. Mentioned gel and his immediate response was it can be thrown back onto you by the bad guy . Never considered that angle. He likes a spray preparation.

 

[daglockman]

Went with one of these sets. Has a active unit, and a inert unit to practice with, a target and a link to a training video also. Hopefully will give her some confidence that she is not just a defenseless sheep. She at least can defend herself to a extent. Thanks for all of the input.